The night before school starts, and all through the halls...

We are SO excited to welcome you back on Monday with smiles, tales of summer fun and the energy of a bright and exciting new year. Whether you are starting at Strafford School for the first time, or returning to us for your final year as a Spartan, we hope this year will bring excitement, laughter and most importantly, lots of new learning opportunities. Bring your smiles, bring your dreams and we are excited to welcome you to the 2024 - 2025 school year!!!!!!!

In partnership,

Mrs. Blackington and Mr. Merrill

Staff members have been at the school this week getting your classrooms ready, meeting new teachers, and learning! Everyone is so excited to see students on Monday!

2024-25 School Calendar

August 26, 2024

First Day of School! Kindergarten attends 9-12 (no buses for kindergarten on this day)

August 30, 2024

NO SCHOOL

September 2, 2024

NO SCHOOL

September 18, 2024

6 - 7 PM Open House & Scholastic Book Fair (PTO selling hot dogs, chips and drinks)

September 26, 2024

Picture Day

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Every year we need to have certain forms filled out including permissions for information sharing, walking field trips, medical information, etc. For all parents with returning students, please log on to your Alma account and follow this procedure!

• Choose "Alma Start Forms and Tasks" below your student's name.
• Choose "Begin New Process"
• Choose the 2024-2025 school year
• Choose "Returning Student 2024-2025". There are three sections to complete. The first section you will view the current information and update anything that has changed. The next 2 sections are Google forms. Please fill these out
• "Submit" at the end of the form
• Return to click "Complete" within the Alma section.

Additional Reminders:

- If applicable, please include: Updated parenting plans

- Bus routes will be updated on our Strafford School website soon. A Pick Up Patrol email will be sent out soon for all parents to update this coming year's dismal plans.

If you are having issues logging on to Alma,

please reach out to april.silva@strafford.k12.nh.us or call the office at 603-664-2842.

Bus routes can be found HERE. There have been some changes to routes this year so please double check. Please allow for extra time the first week of school as drivers are acclimating to their routes.

Pick Up Patrol is up and running for the 2024-25 school year! Please update default plans for the year and remember to update plans daily if they change. Thank you! If you have any questions please email april.silva@strafford.k12.nh.us

We are still in need of the following positions:

• Paraprofessionals (Full or Part Time)
• Special Education Teacher/Case Manager
• Substitute Teachers
• Custodian (Part Time)
• Substitute RN/School Nurse

If you are interested please take a look at job descriptions and application info HERE. Please spread the word!

Girls on the Run* is a girl-empowerment organization that inspires participants to be joyful, healthy, and confident using evidence-based lessons that combine relationship building, community strengthening, and goal setting with physical movement. Registration opens Aug 9th. If you are interested in participating, please visit: girlsontherunnh.org

*Not affiliated with Strafford School

Girls Volleyball: Tryouts on Tues/Wed/Thurs 3:30-4:30 PM

Girls Soccer: Tryouts on Tues/Wed 3:30-5 PM

Boys Soccer: Tryouts start on Tues 5-7 PM

Cross Country: No tryouts but will meet on Whig Hill for their first run at 7:30AM on Saturday

Come on out to support Spartan soccer at their upcoming games!

9/10/24 4PM Away vs. Northwood Boys Play First

9/12/24 4PM Home vs. Epsom Boys Play First

9/17/24 4PM Away vs. Barrington Boys Play First

Spartan Girls Volleyball upcoming games:

9/12/24 JV @4PM V @5PM Away vs. Nottingham

9/17/24 JV @4PM V @5PM Home vs. Dover

9/19/24 JV @4PM V @5PM Away vs. Deerfield

Cross country is gearing up for a fun season. Please come out and cheer them on!

9/11/24 Meet at Northwood 4PM Boys run first

9/18/24 Meet at Pembroke 4PM Girls run first

9/25/24 Meet at Chichester 4PM Boys run first

10/2/24 Meet at Epsom 4PM Girls run first

10/9/24 Southeast League Championship at Coe-Brown 4PM Girls run first

10/19/24 State Championship at Coe-Brown

Unfortunately, due to bus and driver shortages, there will be no bus transportation available for Fall sports this school year. For away games/meets, students will be dismissed from class at 2:45PM to change for parent pick up. If you have any questions, please email Athletic Director, Jeff Merrill at jeff.merrill@strafford.k12.nh.us

Please note- if you received an error message when trying to put money on your students' accounts, it is fixed! Thanks for your patience!

The online portal can be found HERE. You can also send in cash and check to the main office at any time. Please make checks payable to Strafford School.

For information regarding free and reduced meals please visit HERE. All necessary paperwork will also be coming home with students when school starts. If you are interested, please fill out the forms and send them back to school.

The PTO is a group where parents, teachers and the administration work together to assist our school in providing our children, families and community with an enthusiastic, high-quality, thorough and positive educational experience. We raise fund throughout the year to assist with field trips, classroom needs, and provide school community fun! Joining PTO is completely free and does not require a huge time commitment. To be a part of PTO, simply come to a meeting! We love seeing new faces and hearing new ideas!

Our meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the school library. Upcoming meeting dates: September 10th, October 8th and November 12th.

Strafford Recreational Sports is a non-profit organization in Strafford, New Hampshire. Our mission is to provide recreational sports to the youth of Strafford with emphasis on fun and learning.

For more information on our offerings please take a look on the website HERE.

Join us for Library Club at Hill Library! Sessions begin September 16, with K-1 students meeting on Mondays and Grade 2+ students on Wednesdays. Students are walked over from school by library staff and parent pick-up is at 4:30pm. We have all sorts of fun activities planned! Sign up begins September 3. Email Claire at cbeihl.hl@gmail.com to get on the Library Club email list.

Library Club Grades K-1—Monday, September 16, 23, 30 and October 7 and 14

Library Club Grades 2+ —Wednesday, September 18, 25, and October 2, 9, and 16

Week 1: Garden Club

Week 2: Dino Dig

Week 3: Snack Club

Week 4: Science Station

Week 5: Board Games